during the savings and loan crisis, there were 1,000 fbi agents working on fraud. >> charles keating, millionaire banker who was... >> narrator: after the s&l crisis of the '80s, the government responded forcefully. back then, justice convicted over 1,000 bankers, a third of them top executives. >> ...who was led off in handcuffs today. you've introduced a bill that you believe... >> narrator: in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, kaufman wanted the government to respond as it had in the past. >> we should find them, and if they're guilty of a crime, they should go to jail. >> why should people hearing you have any confidence that there will be serious investigations and serious penalties to some of the biggest and most powerful people in corporate america? >> trust me, it's going to happen. i talked to... >> narrator: kaufman became front man for the new fraud enforcement bill. >> ted began giving speeches and writing op-eds about how important it was. you know, we came up with this sort of slogan that, you know, when people rob a bank they know they're going to go to jail. >